In case anyone forgot why newspapers matter, the Philadelphia Inquirer will give the public a subtle reminder this weekend. Philadelphia’s paper of record will launch a special multimedia presentation online Sunday to commemorate its 180th anniversary, which Technically Philly was given a sneak preview of yesterday, and which we promised to share yesterday. According to […]

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The Inquirer will unveil a special interactive presentation Sunday commemorating its 180th anniversary.

In case anyone forgot why newspapers matter, the Philadelphia Inquirer will give the public a subtle reminder this weekend.

Philadelphia’s paper of record will launch a special multimedia presentation online Sunday to commemorate its 180th anniversary, which Technically Philly was given a sneak preview of yesterday, and which we promised to share yesterday.

According to Inquirer Executive Online Editor Chris Krewson, a team has been working on the project for several months.

Sure, call us media geeksï¿½But after digging into the special presentation, we’re impressed. Follow the jump for more details of the special presentation, or see it on Philly.com.

The sleekly-designed interactive interface, which lets users scroll through decades of content, is filled with history-laden stories from its very first issueï¿½the front page of which included a notice of steamboat schedulesï¿½and collects highlights throughout the years.

An iTunes Cover Flow-like browsing experience, which lets users scan through dozens of old editions, allows users to zoom into high-resolution scans of original front pages.

A comprehensive timeline details important events in the region’s history. Several content-heavy sections highlight memorable sports moments, important art venues and photographs of notable Inquirer memorabilia, like undated metal tubes used to keep home-delivered newspapers dry in inclement weather.

For the first time, a digitized collection of some of the Inquirer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stories has been assembled for readers. They’re stories that anyone in the city can be proud of.

On Friday, Philly.com posted a video message from Governor Ed Rendell congratulating them on the milestone.

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“I’ve done some dumb things and this is probably the dumbest that I’ve done. After getting the living daylights kicked out of me for 32 years, I’m doing a video saluting the Inquirer,” Rendell said in the video.

Be sure to check out the interactive package tomorrow, when it will lead Philly.com.

See Governor Ed Rendell’s video statement below.

Full Disclosure: All three founders of Technically Philly have done work for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Brian James Kirk is Business Director and a cofounder of Technical.ly, the local technology news network. Kirk handles business development, marketing and product development, forging new partnerships, building brand identity and coordinating events and projects. He's an avid biker and lives in the Callowhill neighborhood of Philadelphia.